The air inside the packhouse was thick with unspoken tension as Jeffrey and the children returned from the prison. The sun had barely set, casting long shadows across the living room as they stepped inside, their faces pale with confusion. The children’s excited chatter from earlier had been replaced by silence, and even Tim, who had clung to the hope of seeing his dad again, seemed unusually quiet.
As the door clicked shut behind them, Jeffrey took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. His mind kept replaying the scene in Kenneth’s cell. The scent of decay had lingered in the air, barely noticeable at first but growing stronger as they stood there. Kai, his wolf, had sensed something off—Kenneth’s movements were slow, his eyes distant. But still, they had seen him, hadn’t they? T
